Four years ago, I had a job editing laddish lifestyle magazines funded by the National Health Service. It was a great job, great people, and not very time-consuming. So, at work and at home I started writing Music Thing. To my surprise and delight, people started reading it. It was fun and all-consuming. Every day you - the readers - sent me great stories which I had time to research and post.
The things I learned doing Music Thing (the internet stuff more than the guitars shaped like guns) have now helped me get a job where I'm in charge of the online output of The Times newspaper, managing 40+ people and a history going back to 1785.
I spend all day on the web, talking and thinking about traffic, developers, links and readers. It's no longer what I want to do at home, so this will be the last Music Thing post. That's right, I've used this blog to get what I want, now I'm spitting it out like stale gum. Sorry about that.
Thank you to everyone who has ever sent me an idea, particularly if I never got round to using it. Thanks to my fellow gear geek bloggers who have given so much help, friendship and inspiration. Special shouts out to Peters Kirn, Rojas and Taylor, Joel Johnson, Chris Randall, Matrix, Neil S and Michael M. (Image via Keith)

Posted by Tom Whitwell.

Comments:

Noooooo...!!!! But I like musicthing :(

How about letting a couple of other contributors permission to post stories?

I can totally understand and relate to this post. I started skratchworx.com while in a soul destroying full time job aka a well paid rut. Like you, people seemed to like what I was doing, and the hard work allowed me to turn skratchworx into a business that just about pays my bills.

I'm now in the very fortunate situation of running a hugely successful website. just at a time when print media is suffering, and the crunch is making manufacturers look for more cost effective alternatives - and the web is at the top of the list.

I guess we do what we do to suit our personal needs. I've got an industry leading website that will keep me happy for years to come, and you've created an equally widely respected website that has enabled you to move onto a dream online role.

MT's been great. I hope it continues in some form or another! All the best with the new job... every time I read The Times Online now I'll be thinking "i knew you when you soldered distortion pedals together in your garage and waved a wii controller 'round to the sound of gerbils farting". Get in! :-)

Congratulations on your job! It surely seems interesting and I fullz understand your choice. Well, I'm sorry to hear that you can't continue music thing, but I would ask you to leave it online. I am always saddened when people take something offline that was contributed by man people.

Congratulations on your job! It surely seems interesting and I fully understand your choice. Well, I'm sorry to hear that you can't continue music thing, but I would ask you to leave it online. I am always saddened when people take something offline that was contributed by many people.

Sorry to hear it, but why not let some other people manage it? I suppose you might be worried about quality assurance. But don't forget many of the things that were posted on it were contributions from third parties anyway...!

Good news about the job; bad news about the blog. Can't say I don't empathize. My Flash toons were a great hobby, but once I started doing it full-time for clients, I found myself unable to do more of it for myself at the end of the day (or weekends, etc.).

aw!As others have said - if you can, please do leave Music Thing online - there are still lots of fun and interesting things that many people will continue to enjoy.Also good luck with the Times - hope they treat you well.

Thanks for all of your labours on Music Thing!I will struggle on with my blog though I still haven't really found my groove yet - too much to do, too little time!

Awwww, that is such a bummer. Congrats on the new job, though - that is great news.

Music Thing has been a daily read for me for a while now, and led me to lots of cool new gadgets and concepts. I've even made a few purchases based on your recommendations. Thanks for all the musicthingy goodness you've given The Interwebs, and good luck at your new gig.

Tom, all the best ! it's great you got the nice job that fits you by putting up MT from your heart (aaah..) , to bad we'll have to miss it like it was.. We can check out other geeky blogs for gearporn and blabla, but the "tone' will allways be different.... I'm certainly gonna miss the MT-comments community, can we save it somehow ?

Oh, no. Now I've enjoyed MT tremendously for the past three (or is it four?) years. Your voice will be sorely missed in the electromusic world. I'll continue to wave the "Thing" banner proudly on Retro Thing.

Tom, your posts will be sorely missed. They offered a peek into things that will otherwise be missed. MT is one of the pinnacles of the music oriented blogs. It was one of the first music blogs I visited. You really supported me in getting off the ground. I want to thank you for that.

I totally understand the work vs. blog dilemma. The blog should never feel like work. It should be a cathartic break from work. Whenever I feel bogged down, I pull out and remind myself not to take the site too seriously. I then usually come back refreshed.

That said, do what's right for you and know that we all support you. Even though many of us will not see it, it's great to know you are on to more successful things in the same vein.

Let me just say what everyone else has said: I'm sorry to see MT go, but congratulations on getting/good luck with the Times job. It seemed that updates were getting pretty sporadic for a long time so this news isn't really that much of a surprise.

I'd also like to echo the sentiment that allowing other editors to post items would be nice.

Also, there's a bit of an irony that in the RSS feed, the entry still ends with the boilerplate "BONUS: Get extra Music Thing updates at: http://twitter.com/MusicThing or in the sidebar at http://musicthing.blogspot.com"

This is my first post (and apparently last) comment on Music Thing. I've been following your blog for a couple of years now (haven't missed a post during that time ), and I just wanted to thank you for your years of dedication to what may have been the most fascinating piece of music journalism on the Internet.

It only just occurred to me that your blog -- other than my daily newspaper -- is the only thing I have been reading regularly! Best of luck in your future endeavors and keep in mind that if you ever decided to make a Music Thing comeback, I'm sure your readership would welcome it!

this is a huge shame. as one of the earlier readers commented, would it be possible to open it up BoingBoing style to other editors? I think there's a real opportunity here. Email me at parkylondon {snail] gmail [smalldottything] com

Congratulations on the new job! I fully understand how time consuming running a site can be, Guitar Noize takes up a lot of time and I only make enough money to pay for the hosting but it is fun and keeps me interested in playing my guitar!

I've read MT since day one and echoing the sentiments of the other posts, I too will be sad that the blog is closing and wish you the very best for the future. Apart from all the glorious synth pron, your posts were always witty, engaging and a jolly good read.

Wait a minute... this blog is essential to the internet music geek's periodic fix. Surely one post a month won't hamper your work. You are well respected, and it behooves you to continue, for your own sake! Do reconsider.

What a pitty. A lot of information I used for my own Noisejunk website (http://noisejunk.eu) had it's origin here. What the hell am I going to read now during the lunch break :-(Thanks for the good work.

Good luck and Many thanks! Like many, I checked this site at least once a week - being one of the few blogs I've ever bothered reading. Fantastic humor and fun... learnt a stack and it got me on many web and wikipedia jouneys.

Hopefully someone will step into your shoes and create a similar site somewhere.

Been an avid reader for years. I am considering paying more attention to Times online just to alleviate the MT withdrawal pangs. Great blog, will be sorely missed, but I fully appreciate the whole busmans holiday thing.

I appreciate all the hard work you put into this. It provided me lots of entertainment and exposed me to countless new things over the past couple years. I admire you for bowing out now instead of whimpering out in mediocrity. Thanks again.

oh bugger!The best gear blog ever.As an instrument builder I've been inspired by many things I found on you blog. Good luck at the TimesLive long and prosper (please excuse the trekkie reference but it's a sentiment I like)PeaceASMOhttp://asmo23.wordpress.com/

Congratulations on the new job! I'm glad to see that your efforts on Music Thing have been rewarded ;-) Thanks for all the great posts, too. I first discovered Music Thing when I worked at a very big computer company with a very short name, doing tech support. MT had been going for a while then, and browsing back through the archives kept me sane through many boring weekend shifts...

I'm in two minds about asking you to pass the reins to someone else. While I will miss MT, it wouldn't really be the same with someone else editing it. Maybe it's best to stop, and leave it all in a good place.

A sad day indeed. As a fellow music blogger, I fully understand your predicament. My blog has taken a hammering in terms of reduced postings due to my paying full time occupation. So, I know exactly how you feel.

On the upside, it might drive a bit more traffic my way !! LOL ;o)

Anyway, from all of us here at Failed Muso (er, that would be me then) all the best in the future. You deserve it :o)

Music Thing has been my first call on the net every day for the last few years - I shall really miss it. Having my work featured on Music Thing has introduced me to hundreds of people around the world and some have become very good friends. So many thanks Tom!

Thanks for letting everyone know! Some bloggers simply stop blogging or delete their blog with no explanation. Please keep Music Thing available, as it will continue to be a great online resource! Music Thing will remain in my blogroll. I know it's a labor of love, so thanks again for what you've created here.

Thanks for the past 4 yrs of interesting stuff (since I started reading your blog). Similarly, I barely have time to touch the pile of old synths and instruments. I guess the era of self-made music is fading away..... What's the meaning of inspiration???

I am from Brazil and follow Music Thing for a long time. I am very selective on what I read, and your blog was always a good source of good, light reading. Thanks for your time spent on this, and hope you soon get back to rilive Music Thing!

I am jealous of the people who will be working for you. I hope that you will be a great manager and everyone will catch your spirit and work hard to make great things! On the other hand, if they or you aren't worthy, please come back and make another run at Music Thing!